Gerard Butler to Star in Olympus Has Fallen

Gerard Butler (300) has signed to star in the action film Olympus Has Fallen at Millennium Films, says Variety.

Written by newcomers Creighton Rothenberger and Katrin Benedikt, the film is described as a "Die Hard" in the White House, [the] story follows a down-on-his-luck ex-Secret Service agent who becomes America's only hope when 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. is taken over by terrorists.

Butler and his manager Alan Siegel will produce with Millennium president Mark Gill, while Avi Lerner will executive produce with Trevor Short.

Filming is scheduled to start in September.

Antoine Fuqua Eyes Olympus Has Fallen

It was just last week that it was reported that Roland Emmerich is in talks to direct Sony Pictures' White House Down, an action thriller built around a para-miltary takeover of the White House. Now, The Hollywood Reporter brings word that the similarly-plotted Olympus Has Fallen is racing to be the first project into theaters and that Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, Brookylyn's Finest) is in talks to direct.

Set up at Nu Image/Millennium Films, Olympus Has Fallen already has Gerard Butler attached to play an ex-Secret Service agent who must defend the Capitol building from terrorists.

Written by newcomers Creighton Rothenberger and Katrin Benedikt, production was previously reported to begin on Olympus in September, but that could now be pushed to as early as this June.